Saturday, December 20, 2008

The King is dead, long live the King!!

Until a few years ago I used to think that ketchup was the undisputed King of Condiments. Heinz ruled the tomatoey kingdom (and still does as far as all things ketchup go). But times change, and with my ever expanding world view (to go with my equally expanding waistline), I am now an Aioli Advocate.

Garlicky mayonnaise. Is anything simpler, or more versatile in the condiment firmament? On burgers, with grilled fish, shrimp, veggies. Dipping french fries. Yum!! Plus it takes well to riffing, as the following will attest. Add a few spices into your mix, and you can tailor it to suit any edible exploring that may be happening. I did this particular Smoked Paprika Aioli to go with some sautéed shrimp and fried okra poppers (I'll post those as soon as I get them just right...I'm very close) I was feeding my friends for an app course before a recent dinner party. It was fantastic, and received glowing reviews. And sure, you could make your own aioli from scratch, and I have and it's actually even better, but I agree with Bittman, there's nothing wrong with using a Best Foods (or Heileman's, depending on your geographic location) base. Follow this or do your own take. So good!*** *** *** *** ***Smoked Paprika (Pimenton) Aioliadapted from Mark Bittman/How to Cook Everything

method (now read this carefully, because it gets REALLY complicated):1- Mix all the ingredients together.

Wow, can you believe you made something so complicated? Take that, Keller!This actually improved given an hour or two in the fridge, and will last several days for further enjoyment.##### ###### #####one year ago today @ E.D.T.: Happy Holidays with this incredible Standing Rib Roast with Rosemary-Thyme Crust